The Rex Pagan Art Project

The Rex Pagan Art Project exists to sustain interest in and make available the works of REX (Joseph C. Fifield, 1940s–2024), one of the most significant and uncompromising artists of the gay underground.

For over five decades, REX produced a body of work that defined the visual language of leather culture, gay male sexuality, and subcultural identity. His drawings—raw, precise, and unapologetically explicit—were circulated in plain envelopes, displayed in clandestine galleries, and passed hand-to-hand through a community that recognized their power long before any institution did.

REX died in Amsterdam in March 2024. This project ensures that his archive—comprising hundreds of original drawings, self-published magazines, commercial illustrations, and commissioned portraits—remains accessible, catalogued, and available to collectors, researchers, and admirers.

What We Do

• Digital Archive — High-resolution scans of every known REX drawing, organized by portfolio, series, and date
• Publications — Five authorized anthologies (Rough Trade, Adwerk, Leather Cult, Portfolios, Bound) preserving his complete published works
• Editions — Digitally remastered reprints of REX's self-published magazines, approved by the artist before his death
• Original Art — Authenticated originals and limited edition archival prints available through the project

Contact

For inquiries about original art, exhibition loans, or licensing, contact the project through the Shopify store or via the archive.